Char
by trustme93
Summary: This is a series of Charlotte-centered one-shots.
1. You're It

**I'm back! I apologize for disappearing like that. That final semester hit me HARD. I'm not even kidding when I say that I wrote almost 200 pages worth of essays and research papers in order to pass. I almost died, but I made it! *cries***

 **I'm continuing this Charlotte one-shot series, and I decided to start with the first 7 chapters I've already done, only revised. (The previous story was deleted maybe 6 months ago). After that, I'll have all new content.**

 **NOTES:**

 **1\. Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper are all at least 18 in my stories.**

 **2\. I don't own Henry Danger (PLEASE DON'T SUE ME! *cries some more*)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Charlotte knocked on the wooden door five times.**

 _I hope he's home_ , she thought.

It was Friday evening in Swellview.

Charlotte stood a foot away from Henry's front entrance. When she glanced to her left, she noticed that the Hart's SUV wasn't parked in their driveway. She came to the conclusion that they were probably out at dinner. She knocked on the door twice more—even louder this time—before turning around and taking a few steps back. She leaned on Henry's porch railing and examined her surroundings. The street lights turned on not too long ago, which meant that most, if not all of the kids in their neighborhood were already inside. The only beings left were a few joggers and a stray cat or two, napping on the sidewalk. In the distance, Charlotte could see the reddish sun peeking over the horizon. It was in its final stage of setting, so a few stars were also beginning to reveal themselves in the violet sky. Almost ten seconds went by before she heard a faint noise coming from inside. They were footsteps, gradually becoming louder.

 _Henry._

Charlotte lit up a little and sighed in relief. Staying at the railing, she turned around to face the front door again. Moments later, the porch lights flashed on, locks were turned, and three quick security _beeps_ sounded before it opened. There Henry was, gently rubbing his left eye before looking at his best friend.

"Oh, hey. What's up?" he said.

She smirked. "You look like you've been sleeping."

"I have," he smiled, "And, so do you."

Charlotte was wearing an old cami, running shorts, and flip-flops. A festive head wrap also secured her curls into a simple up-do. Henry, on the other hand, wore a wrinkled undershirt, sweatpants, and sandals. His hair was messy, and he even had on his square-framed glasses. Except for those closest to him, nobody knew that he wore contacts.

"You alright?" Charlotte crossed her arms.

Henry took a couple of steps closer to her. "I should be asking you the same thing… You still feel weak?"

"Uh… No."

"Come on, Char. I know you're lying."

"Well, how would you know?"

"You're leaning against the railing to hold yourself up."

Charlotte silently cursed to herself. Henry used to be really dense, but as they got older, he could almost see right through her. Now, he was on her level—able to read and see things other people couldn't—the way she'd been her entire life.

"Henry Hart… When did you get so smart?" Charlotte teased.

Henry shook his head. "Don't be mean." He walked towards the porch swing to his left, sat down, and motioned his hand to her.

Charlotte carefully let go of the railing and headed to the swing. Instead of sitting down normally, she sat on her knees and placed her right arm behind the seat to keep herself from falling. She wanted to face Henry when she talked to him.

"So, I'm gonna say this again. You alright?" Charlotte asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Henry went quiet as he clasped his hands together and stared off into the distance.

"Henry. You're not looking at me."

Henry hesitated but turned his body to face her. His amber eyes were somber.

"You could've died, Charlotte. And, it's all my fault."

The night before, Henry, Jasper, Ray, and Schwoz were caught up trying to save Charlotte from a villain who held her up for ransom. Even though all was well by the end, everyone ended up getting hurt. Ray advised the teenagers to take a day off from school to recover from their injuries, since they weren't like him: indestructible. After everything that happened, Henry seemed alright, but Charlotte knew better.

"How is any of this your fault?" she sighed.

Henry ran his fingers through his hair. "You were kidnapped just by associating with me."

"Dude. You're a superhero's sidekick. It was bound to happen someday."

"But, I didn't want it to. You're my best friend, and I'd freak if anything else ever happened to you."

Charlotte stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "To be completely real with you, bad things are gonna keep happening."

Henry's face fell.

Charlotte continued. "You signed up to help out a superhero, so danger is destined to find you. Hell, even your alias has the word 'danger' in it! Plus, I signed up to help you guys out. I could've said 'no', but I agreed to take on this job. With the job comes risking our lives every single day."

"I know all that," Henry said, "But, why do I feel so bad about it?"

"Because you have a huge heart… If you think about it in a different light, we're getting older. Even if we weren't caught up in this 'superhero business'—even if we were just normal teenagers going on with our lives—we would still have to deal with heavy stuff along the way."

"You're right… Life absolutely sucks."

With her free hand, Charlotte brushed some of Henry's hair out of his face. "I know," she whispered, "But, we'll be okay in the end. I promise."

Henry nodded. After he faced front again, he rested his arms on top of the chair. He began to move his feet, gently rocking the swing back and forth. As a response, Charlotte pushed her back against the armrest and freed her legs, which were asleep. Then, she hugged them, lowered her head to her knees, and closed her eyes. The two friends rested in silence, minus the sounds of some nearby trees rustling in the wind. At this point, it was completely dark outside, and a full moon stood where the sun once was. After a little while, the swing stopped moving, and Charlotte felt a small tug on one of her curls. She opened her eyes and lifted her head to see Henry facing her again.

"Want me to walk you home?" he asked.

"Hen, I only live a few houses down," she said.

"Char, don't be a downer. I insist, really."

Charlotte shook her head and agreed to take his offer. Henry stood up and stretched his arms as she carefully got off the swing. Then, he squatted and motioned for her to get on his back.

"Boy, what is up with you?" she laughed, "I can walk."

"It's the least I can do for almost getting you killed," he smirked.

Charlotte hesitated but climbed on anyways. As Henry stood up, she noticed a large bruise on his right shoulder.

"Wow." She brushed her hand over it. "Does that hurt?"

"Kinda," he said, "It's not that bad though."

"Sorry…"

"No, seriously. If it's for you, I'd do it again."

Henry hiked Charlotte up for good measure, then headed to the sidewalk. For that short journey, another comfortable silence followed them.

Once Henry reached Charlotte's house, he set her down to her feet. Charlotte proceeded to lean back on her front door.

"Thanks," she sighed, crossing her arms.

"I've been thinking..." Henry pushed his glasses further up his nose. "In almost every comic book, villains target this one person the superhero cares about, and it's almost always a girl."

"And?"

" _And_ , never in my life did I think any of this would _actually_ happen." He scratched his head. "What I'm trying to say is… I guess you're it, Charlotte."

"Henry… Now you're talking crazy. Go back to sleep."

Henry rolled his eyes as he hugged Charlotte goodbye. He was off, and she disappeared inside her house. Almost immediately, she walked upstairs to her room and climbed back into bed.

 _I'm it?_ _What does that even mean?_

Charlotte's thoughts lingered for a few more moments before sleep overcame her.

* * *

 **This revision looks** _ **so**_ **much better than the last time. What do you all think? Any feedback is welcome, and if you wanna PM me for anything, that's cool too! Thanks for reading.**


	2. Let Me In

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Charlotte's eyes scanned page thirty-seven of her history textbook for the fourth time.

"God! Why can't any of this stay in my head?"

It was around 2 a.m. on an eventful Monday—only seven hours before _Hell Week_ commenced.

Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper were sprawled out in Henry's living room, where an explosion of books, pens, and other materials took over. Charlotte was on the couch, lying on her stomach. Henry and Jasper, on the other hand, were on the floor. Henry sat near Charlotte, with his back against the couch and Jasper camped underneath the coffee table. All three were sporting pjs, as comfort was a must for studying for their final exams. For some reason, most of their teachers decided that their finals would be on the same day—Monday. And, as a result, they spent their entire weekend preparing for them as if their lives depended on it.

"Are you still on that one page?" Jasper said, "Maybe we should all take a break."

Charlotte slammed her book shut. "I really hate this. I'm gonna fail _everything_ , and I'm not getting into any good colleges… Maybe I should become a stripper! They make bank anyways!"

"Oh…" Jasper interrupted, "A _strippe_ r, huh?" His eyebrows moved up in a suggestive way.

"Jasper, ew." Henry scoffed and threw a nearby pen at his forehead.

"Hey! I was only kidding!"

Charlotte rolled her eyes and opened her book again. "I have to get this or I'm gonna go crazy."

Almost immediately, Henry snatched the book out of her hands. "Dude. Take a break. You've been working way harder than the two of us anyways."

"Henry. _Please_ give it back."

He smiled. "Nope."

"Ooooooooh!" Jasper whisper-yelled. He eyed his two best friends, obviously having fun with the situation at hand.

"Shut the hell up!" Charlotte shot back.

Henry laughed. "If you want your book back come get—"

In one quick move, Charlotte snatched Henry's glasses from his face and jumped off the couch.

"Boy, don't mess with me!" she said, "Now, give me the book, and I might just hand you back your nerd goggles!"

Jasper exploded in laughter.

Charlotte was glad that Henry's family wasn't home. They were visiting relatives for a wedding, and to Henry's advantage, he was exempt from attending to study for exams instead.

Henry stood up. "Come on," he said, "You need to take a break. The only reason why you keep re-reading this page is because you're tired."

"I agree." Jasper turned over so he could lie on his back. "Everyone deserves to give their brain a rest every once in a while."

Charlotte stared at her friends, then at the floor.

 _They don't get it,_ she thought.

Henry and Jasper looked at each other for some type of indication of what was going on. Jasper shrugged his shoulders. Once Henry got his answer, his eyes went to Charlotte again.

"What's up? You're obviously upset about something way bigger than this history book," he said.

"Nothing's up… I just really need to pass these exams," she whispered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Jasper chimed in. "You positive?"

"Yes," she said.

Henry stared at Charlotte before giving up. "Alright," he sighed. He handed her the book, and after putting it on the couch, she carefully slid his glasses back on his face.

In that moment, Charlotte noticed how quickly Henry's eyes changed: Instead of focusing on her own, they rushed past her.

 _Is he mad at me?_

All was quiet as the two took their spots again. Jasper couldn't help but feel the unspoken tension between them.

"Wow. Things got awkward fast…" he said.

Another pen was thrown at his head—this time, by Charlotte.

"Ow!"

* * *

Charlotte was jolted awake by the sound of an obnoxious, prolonged _ring._ Her heart raced, and almost immediately, she jumped up from her lying position to her knees. As a consequence, her history book flew off the couch, and several notecards and highlighters tumbled to the carpet. Without a second thought, she placed her feet on the floor and only took a half-step before tripping over a large object. She fell forward, and a violent _thud_ was sounded.

A scared hand grabbed her leg.

"You okay?" Henry quickly sat up and turned off the nearby alarm clock. He was lying on his stomach, reviewing his own history book when Charlotte tripped over him.

Charlotte pushed herself up to a seated position as well—with her back to Henry—then drew her knees closer to her. Her body formed a ball as she hugged her legs. "Why didn't you wake me up?" she whispered.

"Because you were crazy tired. Everyone needs rest," Henry said.

"Hen, it's 7. We only have two hours 'til finals start."

"I know."

"But I have to—"

"Charlotte… Please don't do this."

"Do what?"

"You're doing that thing where you keep everything to yourself… Now, can you please turn around? I feel like I can't reach you at all if I'm talking to your back."

Charlotte laughed a little, turned around, and wiped her eyes. Henry seemed a little surprised, as he didn't notice that she had been crying. He motioned for her to sit a little closer to him, and she responded accordingly.

"Char, you and I go way back—Jasper too," he said, "A lot of times, we feel like there's some type of wall between us, like you're somewhere we can't reach. We're your best friends. Whenever you're hurting about something, it hurts us too—more than you think… You're the smartest person we know. Why are you so stressed out about finals?"

Charlotte took a deep breath before speaking. "I-I've always been expected to do well in school. I feel like without my mind, I'm basically nothing."

Henry's face turned red. "That's not true! You have so much more to offer than your grades! At the end of the day, they don't determine who you are! You're amazing! You have so many aspects of yourself that most people would be jealous of... I mean, Jasper and I can be idiots sometimes, but we aren't shallow."

Charlotte was silent, and Henry started to get nervous.

"Uh… Did I say something wrong?" he said, "I'm sorry if I—"

"No. That was perfect." She inched closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You are perfect… Thank you."

Henry returned the favor by circling his arms around Charlotte's waist. After they broke apart, they glanced at Jasper, who was still under the coffee table. He was knocked out, with an open book lounging on his face.

Henry gave Charlotte a cunning smile.

"Don't you dare!" she said, flicking his forehead.

"Oh, you know I will! And, ow!" He rubbed his temples before making his way to their sleeping friend.

Henry shook Jasper's body with all his might. "JASPER! WAKE UP! THE EXAM STARTS IN FIVE MINUTES! HURRY!"

"AHHHHHHH!" Jasper got up in a panic only to meet his friends dying in laughter. "What time is it?"

"Less than two hours 'til finals start," Charlotte answered.

"Oh my God… _Eff you_ , Henry! I hope you fail every single one of those exams so I can laugh in your damn face!" He gathered his belongings in a rush.

"Yeah, I know," Henry smirked.

For the next ten minutes, Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper cleared the living room so they could get ready for class. Jasper was the first to go home, sulking about the upcoming day. "Well," he joked as he headed outside, "If you all don't see me in an hour, I'm probably dead… Let Hell Week commence!"

"You'll be fine, buddy! We all will!" Henry said.

Charlotte grabbed her backpack and met Henry at the front door.

"You gonna be alright?" he asked.

"Yeah. I think so."

They pounded fists.

 _Let's get this over with._

* * *

At exactly 9:03, finals week began.

As pages flipped and pencils scribbled in the classroom, Charlotte dug in her backpack for scrap paper. Instead, she felt something smooth and soft—a red stress ball.

It had a yellow sticky note attached to it.

She set the ball on her desk and read the note:

 ** _Thanks for letting me in._**

 ** _-Hen._**

Charlotte quietly turned around in her seat. Her friends were seated not too far away from her, immersed in their essays. Though, it was only seconds before Henry felt her gaze and looked right at her. They stared at each other for a little bit before Henry smirked and went back to his test.

 _You're the best._

Charlotte took a deep breath, and turned back around. Before starting her exam, she gave the red ball one long squeeze and closed her eyes.

 _I can do this._

* * *

 **I always have so much fun writing about the friendship dynamic between the three main characters. And Jasper? I always low-key imagined him to be this semi-douchey, completely hilarious person. xD Again, thanks for reading, and feel free to send feedback.**


	3. Intervention

**Hey guys! I thought I'd be able to revise these first 7 chapters within 2 days, but it's taking me a lot longer than expected. So, please bear with me.**

 **Thanks, and enjoy!**

* * *

Charlotte was in for a relaxing Saturday afternoon in her backyard. The weather was perfect—a seventy-degree overcast cooled the air. She napped peacefully on a beach chair until her phone, which was on the grass, broke the silence. When she saw Henry's photo light up the device, she answered it almost instantly.

"Hey, Henry. What's up?" she said.

"Can you do me a huge favor?" he begged.

"What's wrong?"

"I'll explain later… Can you come to my place, like now?"

"Is it urgent?"

"Kinda."

"In that case, I'll be there in a minute!"

"You're the best!"

With that, Charlotte ended the call, slipped on some nearby shoes, and sprinted out of her backyard. In a matter of time, she reached Henry's front door. Not even two seconds after catching her breath, she was yanked inside the house.

"Hey!" she shouted.

Henry swung his right arm around Charlotte's neck and used his hand to cover her mouth.

"Shhh!" he said, "We have to be quiet."

After he shut the door, she pulled his hand off her face. "Why do we have to be quiet?"

"Come on."

Henry snatched Charlotte's hand and dragged her up the stairs. There, she saw Jasper sitting in the hallway. He was resting his back against the wall, browsing the internet on his phone. When he noticed his friends, he turned it off and slipped it into his pocket. Henry sat down, facing him, and Charlotte followed suit.

"So… Anyone gonna tell me what's going on?" she whispered.

"Well," Henry said, "We're staging an intervention."

"For who?"

"Piper."

Charlotte glanced at Jasper, concerned. When he shrugged his shoulders, she switched her focus to Henry.

"What's going on?"

Henry hesitated for a second before answering. "She's being bullied by her classmates."

Jasper clenched his fists. "Why?"

"I'm pretty sure it's about her weight… She refuses to eat and exercises more than usual. Plus, she rarely talks to me, locks herself in her room forever, and half the time, she sleeps."

Charlotte's stomach turned. "Oh my God..."

"Who's hurting her?" Jasper said, raising his voice, "I wanna give them a piece of my—"

"Shh!" Henry said, "At this point, I just wanna be able to get through to her. My parents haven't had any luck talking to her either. Honestly, I don't think they realize how serious this is."

"So, you brought me and Charlotte here to help you stage an intervention for her?"

"Yes, only if you want to. I want one of you to speak to her—somehow convince her that she doesn't need to listen to the comments other people make about her. You're seriously my last hope."

Charlotte's heart began to race as Jasper gave her a pleading stare.

Henry looked back and forth at his friends, then his face fell as he came to a sudden realization. He placed a hand on one of Charlotte's shoulders. "I'm such an idiot. I shouldn't have even tried asking you, Charlotte. That was super insensitive, and I—"

"No," Charlotte said, "I'll do it."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Charlotte stood up and walked down the hallway to Piper's room. The door was closed, so she knocked on it three times. Nothing happened, so she looked over at Henry. He signaled for her to turn the knob, and to her satisfaction, it was unlocked. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before going in.

 _Wow._

All of the lights in Piper's room were off, with the exception of a small lamp on her dresser. The blinds were also down, blocking any sunlight from creeping in. Charlotte spotted Piper in her bed, underneath her covers, where a phone light was clearly visible.

"Piper, it's Charlotte," she said.

Nothing.

"Henry told me what's been happening, and I wanna help."

Even though there was still no answer, Charlotte decided to stay in the room. She shut the door behind her and slid to the ground. Then, she fished out her own phone and started dialing Piper's number.

 _Piper's obsessed with technology… Maybe she'd be more comfortable talking on the phone._

Piper's phone rang, and after a few seconds, she answered it.

"Everyone hates me," she sniffled.

"Everyone doesn't hate you," Charlotte said.

"It sure feels like it."

"I remember those days. Middle school was _hell_. I don't think I'd ever go back if I had the chance to… Do you remember the time I didn't come to your house for months about five years ago?"

Piper stirred a little under her covers. "My mom said that you were really sick."

Charlotte smiled to herself. "I was… Want me to tell you why?"

Piper dug herself out of the covers, revealing a teary face. She nodded and turned her phone off. Charlotte did the same as she stood up and walked to her bed.

"Can I join you?" she asked.

Piper nodded again and moved over to leave room for Charlotte. When they were settled, she rested her head on her shoulder.

"So, what happened?"

* * *

 _ **Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper were in the seventh grade.**_

 _Though everyone was subject to some kind of teasing during school, Charlotte had it worse._

 _First, it was her skin color._

 _Then, it was her hair._

 _She ignored them, so they stopped._

 _But, just when she thought the bullying was over, someone found her weak spot:_

 _"FAT-ASS."_

 _Charlotte broke down. The pressure was too much, and her friends tried their best to make her feel better. But, no matter what Henry and Jasper said, it didn't stop her from taking control of the situation. Eventually, her eating habits became dangerous, and her health started to decline. Henry was the first to notice her behavior when he witnessed her passing out during gym class. When he asked her about it, she simply told him to "forget it". At one point, he stopped bugging her, but she could tell it was still on his mind—he seemed worried every time he was with her._

 _"I'm fine, Henry... Pinky swear."_

 ** _Then, it happened._**

 _Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper walked home from school, and Jasper spotted a large pile of leaves in their neighborhood park._

 _"Woah!" he gushed, "We have to jump in that!"_

 _The three of them dropped their backpacks at the base of a nearby tree and ran as fast as they could to it. Within seconds, red, brown, and gold leaves floated in the air. Henry laughed at Jasper's antics until he noticed something._

 _"Where's Char?" He pushed aside the leaves surrounding him. "Jasper… she was with us, wasn't she?"_

 _"Yeah, I saw her jump in." Jasper said._

 _At that very second, Henry's eyes went huge and he threw aside leaves like a maniac. "She has to be here! Help me look for her!"_

 _The boys destroyed the pile, and after about a minute, they spotted a purple boot. It was only a matter of time before Henry uncovered Charlotte's body. He carefully pulled her over to the grass and gently shook her._

 _"Charlotte…" Henry's voice cracked. "Wake up."_

 _Charlotte wouldn't budge, so he put an ear to her chest._

 _Jasper hovered over them with fear in his eyes. "Is she breathing?"_

 _Henry's eyes slowly filled with tears, and he violently shook his head. "Barely! Get someone! Hurry!"_

 _Jasper rushed out of the scene, while Henry fished out his phone to get extra help. In minutes, Charlotte was transported to the ER. That evening, her life was saved, but she would have to stay at the hospital for the next couple of weeks. She didn't want to be alone the first night, but her parents had to work. Instead, they allowed Henry and Jasper sleep over, since it was already the weekend. That alone made Charlotte feel a lot better, but it didn't stop her from waking up in the middle of the night, sobbing._

 _Henry and Jasper were bundled in sleeping bags on spare couches. Henry was closest to Charlotte's bed, so he instantly heard her crying._

 _"Char?" Henry slowly unzipped his bag and stood up. "What's wrong?"_

 _Charlotte continued to sob, so Henry walked over and kneeled next to her bed. She was already sitting up, looking away from him while wiping her eyes._

 _"Hey, look at me," Henry whispered._

 _Charlotte turned her head to face him._

 _"Don't beat yourself up over this," he said, "None of this is your fault. I know it's been hard, but Jasper and I will always be here for you, okay?"_

 _She nodded, and he laughed._

 _"You're really cute when you cry," he joked._

 _He wiped the remaining tears off of her face, causing her to smile._

 _"See? Everything will be okay…" Henry said, "To me, you're always gonna be the coolest girl I've ever met."_

 _As Henry got up and walked back to the couch, Charlotte lowered herself to lie down. She turned to her left side, pulled her covers up a little, and closed her eyes. Moments later, she heard light scuffling across the floor. Then, she felt a warm hand embrace her own._

 _She opened her eyes._

 ** _Henry pushed his couch closer to her bed and slept beside her for the rest of the night._**

* * *

Piper stared at Charlotte in disbelief. "That _really_ happened?"

"Yeah, and I don't want the same thing to happen to you." Charlotte got off the bed after Piper lifted her head off of her shoulder. "Piper… You're beautiful the way that you are. The only reason why your classmates are making fun of you is because you possess something that they don't have. In the end, I learned that hurt people like to hurt other people. I mean, it doesn't justify what they're doing to you at all, but it's the truth… You understand?"

Piper nodded. "Thanks Charlotte." She hugged her torso. "I wish you were my sister."

"But, you are. Henry's my best friend, so that automatically makes you my sister."

"That's not what I meant, but that works too."

"Little girl, what are you talking about?"

Piper snickered to herself in an evil tone.

Charlotte left the room, confused, while Piper opened her blinds and got ready for the rest of the day. As Charlotte closed the door behind her, she glanced to her right and saw Henry where he was seated before. This time, he was lying on his back, with his hands behind his head. As Charlotte got closer to him, she noticed that his eyes were closed.

"Hen." She sat cross-legged next to him. "Wake up."

Henry's chest moved up and down. Other than that, there was no response, so Charlotte tapped his nose. He opened his eyes after a few seconds and smiled up at her.

"How long have you been gone?" he asked.

"About an hour." she said.

"Jasper's downstairs… Did it work?"

"I think so, but as crazy as Piper is, we all need to look out for her more."

Henry sighed and stood up. He offered both of his hands to Charlotte and pulled her to her feet. Without letting her go, he pulled her in closer and looked her in the eyes.

"Have I ever told you that you're the coolest girl I've ever met?" he smirked.

Charlotte smiled.

 _Yeah._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, and reviews are welcome!**


	4. Art

**Thanks for being patient! And to the guest reviewers, I SEE YOU! You are awesome! And to the guest who asked for me to post the previous story... I can't because when I edit these pieces, I write over the old ones. So, sorry about that, and don't worry. I'm not offended at all :).**

 **NOTE: I originally wrote this piece before Jasper knew Henry's secret, which is why he isn't in this chapter. I tried to write him in, but things didn't work out. xD**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Charlotte and Schwoz were in the Man Cave, overseeing their team's current mission: a classic break-in at Swellview's city bank. Several criminals were involved, automatically ranking this operation a "high-risk" one. Henry and Ray were off to deal with the situation in an instant, while the techies handled the monitors—they scoped out the target area while communicating with their teammates through wireless earphones. As always, Charlotte was in charge of Henry, and Schwoz took care of Ray. Anytime the superhero and sidekick needed assistance, they were always there to help.

As a general rule, all four of them agreed that the maximum time to deal with any kind of danger was a couple of hours—it was enough time to take down the criminals, get law enforcement involved, and speak with reporters afterwards. If any mission went past the allotted time, it was safe to assume that something went wrong with Captain Man or Kid Danger. Though it rarely ever happened, Charlotte and Schwoz prepared for the worst.

About an hour into the mission, multiple cameras placed in and around the bank were spray-painted to prevent anyone from watching the scene at hand. Only two cameras were left alone, which were mostly out of Henry and Ray's bounds. From time-to-time, Charlotte and Schwoz could see Ray fighting criminals while a civilian or two were shown hiding in fear, nearby. Henry, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found. To make matters worse, major feedback and static was sounded into Charlotte's earpiece, causing her to wince in pain.

She pulled its attached microphone closer to her mouth. "Henry?"

Nothing.

"Where are you?"

He never answered her, so she assumed that his device was destroyed.

 _I hope you're alright,_ she thought.

Twenty more minutes passed before Schwoz couldn't reach Ray either. Even worse, the remaining working cameras in the facility were smashed, causing the Man Cave's monitors to black out.

Charlotte and Schwoz sat at the computer system, dumbfounded. Seconds later, the cave's emergency alarms blared out as they both jumped up and scrambled to grab any tool they could find—they had to get the monitors up-and-running again.

* * *

After another long hour, the system was fixed, and all was quiet.

"We did it!" Schwoz cheered. He and Charlotte high-fived in relief. Sweat ran down their faces as they stood up to take a breather.

Charlotte lifted her arm a little and glanced down at her watch. It was past midnight.

"What if they're seriously hurt?" she said.

Schwoz was surprisingly calm. "They're fine. I bet they'll come down those tubes in no time!"

And, surely enough, they did.

Gears turned and a familiar _whoosh_ was sounded before Henry and Ray landed safely in the Man Cave. The tubes lifted, and the superhero and sidekick were met with relieved teammates. Schwoz immediately got out of his chair to greet Ray with a firm handshake. Everyone knew that it was his own way of saying, "I'm proud of you". Ray responded to him with a huge grin.

Charlotte assumed that meant the mission went well, so she shifted her focus to Henry. He was off to the side, taking off his gloves. He seemed indifferent to her—he didn't look happy, or excited, or angry... It was as if he wasn't feeling anything at all. The worry in her heart grew when he left the main area, to the hallway, without acknowledging anyone.

Charlotte crossed her arms and glanced over at Ray. He was busy telling Schwoz exactly what happened at the crime scene. A couple of laughs and hand gestures were thrown between them before Ray noticed her looking at him. He stopped talking for a second, and his face turned serious—the kind of serious that reminded Charlotte that even though he seemed crazy sometimes, he was still a responsible adult.

 _Find him,_ he mouthed.

She nodded shyly, and he gave her a reassuring smile before she left for the hallway. She scanned it and eventually spotted some light peeking out from under the restroom door.

 _There he is._

Once Charlotte was close enough to the door, she tapped on it lightly. Moments later, the knob turned, and she took a step back before the door creaked open. Henry was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. He already changed back into his street clothes—minus the mask.

A few seconds went by before Charlotte spoke up. "You have a black eye, don't you?"

Henry smirked and shook his head in disbelief. "You _would_ be the one to figure it out that fast."

Charlotte sighed and entered the restroom. She shut the door behind her and went to the medicine cabinet nearby. Once it was open, she pulled out a blue first-aid kit. Then, she motioned for Henry to move his legs so she could kneel in front of him.

"May I take off your mask?" she asked.

He nodded. "Go ahead."

Charlotte reached her hands out to the sides of Henry's face and carefully tugged on the corners of the mask. He cringed a little, and she apologized. Soon, a purplish bruise was revealed under his right eye and part of his nose.

"Wow." Charlotte set the mask down and opened the kit beside her. She dug around in it until she found an instant ice pack. She handed it to Henry and watched him as he pressed it against his face.

"You alright?" she said, "When you and Ray came back, you looked like a zombie."

"What do you mean?" he said.

"Ray seemed happy, but you looked like you were kinda upset… I don't know. I've just never seen you like that before. You didn't even say anything, and you, of all people, _love_ to talk—especially about your missions. Did you all lose?"

Henry chuckled a little and set the ice pack down. "No."

Charlotte sat on her knees. "Then, what's wrong?"

"I'm not upset, really," he said, "It's just that I'm… I guess I'm disappointed? Or tired? This mission was dangerous—I'm sure you already knew that. I'm stressed out, and I wouldn't be surprised if you were too."

"Why would I be?"

"Come on, Char. You probably freaked out after our communicators broke and the monitors crashed."

"Fair. But, that's my job… I have to prepare for the worst."

Henry's eyes went sad, and he gathered his thoughts before speaking again. "I never even thought about that."

Charlotte reached over and touched his arm. "Hen, it's okay."

He nodded, and she gave him a half-smile.

They sat in silence until Charlotte peeked at Henry's face again. "You look kinda terrible," she said.

"Gee, thanks," he answered, with a hint of sarcasm.

"I'm just saying… If you don't wanna get interrogated by your parents, I suggest you cover up that bruise."

"How?"

Charlotte grabbed the first-aid kit, stood up, and put it back in the cabinet. Then, she fished out a tube of concealer and tin of foundation—both as close to Henry's skin tone as possible.

Henry groaned. "No… How'd you even know I would need that anyways?"

Charlotte opened the cabinet even wider, revealing three more sets of makeup for her, Ray, and Schwoz.

"Of course." Henry threw his arms up. "You're always thinking ahead."

"Always."

Charlotte closed the cabinet and joined Henry on the floor again. This time, she kneeled much closer to him so she could work on his face. She applied some concealer on a makeup sponge and started to apply it under his eye. "Hold still," she said.

"But, it still hurts," he whined.

"Here." Charlotte placed her left hand on Henry's forehead to keep him steady.

"Do I look beautiful yet?" he joked.

"Dude..."

"I'm kidding… However, I _am_ curious about something. Do you wear makeup?"

Charlotte stopped in her tracks and crossed her arms. "You're looking right at me. Do I look like I'm wearing makeup?"

Henry stared at her. "Uh… Maybe?"

"We've known each other for years. How can you not tell?"

"I assumed you didn't because you don't really need it."

Charlotte smirked. "Aww. You think I'm pretty."

"Don't change the subject!" Henry snapped, "I asked you if you wore makeup, and you didn't even answer me. I am offended."

"Geez, you baby… Okay. Yes, I wear makeup," she said.

"There's no way. Where?" His face lit up.

"My eyes—simple black eyeliner and mascara."

Henry examined her carefully. "That's not makeup."

Charlotte scoffed and continued her work by applying foundation on his face. "What are you talking about?"

"I've noticed that since last year," he said.

"You tell me that you've never seen me with makeup on, yet you've known that I wear mascara and eyeliner?"

"Yeah… Because to me, it's not makeup."

"Then, what is it?"

"Art."

Charlotte froze. "I don't understand."

Henry smiled and pulled her hand away from his face. "Anything that emphasizes how great your eyes are is considered art to me. It's like you're a canvas—anything you create makes other people feel something. It reminds the world of your natural beauty. If you ask me, it's pretty insane-in the best way possible."

 _What the hell?_ She stared at him.

He laughed. "Don't worry. I got those lines from a movie."

She didn't respond to him.

He tried his best not to laugh again. "Hey, I'm really sorry if I-"

Charlotte dropped the foundation to the floor and gently placed her hands on Henry's face, startling him.

She looked him in the eyes, and he was at a loss for words.

After what seemed like forever, Charlotte closed her eyes and slowly inched her face closer and closer to Henry's.

Then, in one quick move...

 **She pinched his nose as hard as she could.**

"OWWWWW!" Henry screamed in pain. Then, he held his hands up to his face. "Oh my God! You're so effing evil!"

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "That's what you get, and by the way, I'm done with your makeup. Now nobody will know how hideous you really are."

Henry gasped. "Man… How did I end up with such mean friends?"

"Oh, come on Hen. You always bring it on yourself."

Charlotte stood up to store the makeup back in the cabinet. Henry followed her lead. He picked up his mask and slipped it into his pocket. Then, he threw his ice pack in the trash.

Before Charlotte left the restroom, Henry grabbed her hand, and she turned around to face him.

"What's wrong?" she said.

"About before, when I said I was stressed out because of this job… I don't hate it. I promise. Sometimes, it's just really hard."

She squeezed his hand. "I know."

"But, being able to come back to you makes it that much easier. Thanks for always being there for me," he said.

She smiled. "Anytime."

* * *

Moments later, Charlotte and Henry arrived at the Man Cave. They waved goodbye to Schwoz, and Ray followed them upstairs to "Junk N' Stuff". As Henry searched the store for his backpack, Ray pulled Charlotte off to the side.

"Is Henry alright?" he asked.

"Yeah… He'll be fine," she said.

"You know, I don't say this enough to you, but I'm really glad you're on the team. Tonight was hectic, and we couldn't have made it tonight without you and Schwoz."

"It was nothing."

"It was _everything_. Never forget that."

As Charlotte nodded, Henry approached them. Soon enough, Ray opened the front door, and they were off.

"Good job tonight, kids! Get some rest, and take care of each other!" he called out.

Charlotte looked back at her boss, who was now closing the shop, then at her best friend, who smiled back her.

 _I have the greatest job in the entire world._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, and reviews are welcome.**


	5. Suspend

**I apologize for the three-week wait. I was going through a crisis and pushed off writing for a little bit, but I'm back! :]**

 **Thanks for sticking by me, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

 **Charlotte's head was pounding.**

She placed a hand to her forehead and rubbed it as she slowly sat up and looked around Henry's room. The sun was just about to rise, making the darkness seem a little less threatening.

 _It's probably around 5,_ she thought.

She glanced to her right at Henry's alarm clock.

 _4:47 am... great._

She could barely make out anything around her, but her friends were clearly visible.

Jasper was lying underneath the bed she was in, tucked safe in Henry's sleeping bag. Charlotte could only see his head, which was covered by a hood. She assumed that he was wearing his hoodie and basketball shorts that night, like he did most others. He was a heavy sleeper, so she predicted that he wouldn't wake up anytime soon.

Henry, on the other hand, was lying right beside her.

There was maybe a foot of space in between them— _probably his idea_ —Charlotte thought as she watched him. He was lying on top of the covers, with his head rested on his right arm and his fingers tangled in his hair. This only made his bicep more visible than usual, making her heart beat a little fast.

She mentally hit herself in the head.

It didn't help that Henry was wearing an undershirt, but he was also in his signature sweatpants, giving her some relief.

 _At least he's not naked… Oh my God! STOP IT!_

Charlotte shook her head to get rid of any remaining thoughts, only to have her hair attack her in the face.

 _Ow!_ She rubbed her nose.

She forgot that her hair was done in long braids. She'd only had them in for a couple of days, causing that headache she developed to worsen.

 _What else can go wrong?_ Charlotte fell backwards onto the bed again. With her feet, she pushed Henry's covers off of her body, exposing her own sleepwear: a t-shirt, running shorts, and tube socks.

Charlotte turned to her side and watched Henry again. He was still in the same position, only this time, he snored lightly, making her smile to herself.

 _You've always been quite the charmer._

It was only a matter of time before Charlotte rolled onto her back again. She watched the ceiling, shadows dancing as one or two cars quietly passed through their neighborhood. She started thinking about the disaster of a party she and her friends attended a few hours before.

 _How could I let that happen?_

Charlotte's thoughts wandered some more before her eyes felt heavy, and she fell asleep again.

* * *

 **It was Friday night, and the seniors of Swellview High School ended their annual "skip day" with a bang.** After a successful outing with their classmates, Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper decided to attend the final festivity: the house party, which was held promptly at midnight at Bianca's place. She lived in the "rich neighborhood" of Swellview, so her house was automatically the default for most parties held that year. Even though the gathering was held at her place, Henry made a point to tell his friends that he didn't want to be anywhere near her. They dated on-and-off since middle school, and he decided that he didn't want that kind of relationship anymore.

"It's a waste of time, and we're graduating soon," he told them, "Plus, I don't do well with games. Why can't people just be themselves?"

Henry was in the middle of parking his junk-of-a-car on the street, in front of the house. Charlotte was sitting in the passenger seat. She shrugged her shoulders, avoiding the question. Jasper, on the other hand, didn't hesitate to give Henry a response.

"Dude, I've been telling you to _run the hell away_ _from her_ for years now!" he shouted.

Charlotte was quick to reach behind her and grab his face. "And I've been telling you to stop shouting when we're only inches away from you. Why are you being so loud?"

Jasper removed her hands and rubbed his cheeks in pain. "Ow… and do you hear that music? It's like a tornado is going off in there."

 _He has a point._

Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper got out of the car, and it was like they were in an entirely new world. They arrived an hour late, so their classmates were already hyped up. People were everywhere, from the students playing "golf" on the front lawn to those playing chicken in the backyard pool. The three of them decided to go inside, where the majority was. Even though they decided to only stay for a little while, it would give them enough time to mingle.

"Okay!" Jasper said as they arrived at the front door, "We meet here at 2 a.m.!"

Charlotte and Henry looked at each other in agreement, and the three of them pounded fists. Not even two seconds afterwards, the door flung open, and a crowd of people ran out screaming. They pushed Charlotte and Jasper, causing them to stumble backwards. Henry responded quickly, catching Charlotte by the wrist and pulling her up before she hit the ground. Jasper, on the other hand, was unlucky. He fell straight into the nearest bush.

"Really?" He slowly got up to his feet and brushed himself off. "Nobody tries to save me? What great friends you are!"

Charlotte chuckled to herself, and Henry smirked, shaking his head. "Dude, I'm sorry. You know I like Char better than you," he teased.

"Yeah, Jasper," she added, "Get on my level!"

Jasper crossed his arms, annoyed by his friends' sarcasm. "Whatever."

The three of them finally entered Bianca's house, which was a lot more packed than they thought it would be. Henry and Jasper stayed downstairs, talking to some guys in their class, while Charlotte went upstairs. She knew most of the girls would be up there. For some reason, every time there was a party, both sexes decided to separate for a while. The guys did their thing, mostly having drinking competitions with each other, while the girls were in the master bedroom, simply talking. Charlotte liked having "girl talk" sessions during parties because it was one of the few times she could have different points-of-view on several topics that were brought up. She loved Henry and Jasper, but it was refreshing to talk to other girls for a change. As she walked into the bedroom, she was met by many welcoming voices.

"Charlotte!"

"Hey, girl!"

"What's up?"

"Come sit with me!"

"Yaaaaaaas!"

There were maybe thirty people in the dim room—some on the bed, some on the floor, and the rest on the windowsill and folding chairs brought in from downstairs.

Charlotte took a seat on the floor. It was too late before she realized that Bianca was sitting right next to her.

 _Shit._

Ever since Bianca and Henry broke up months before, Bianca developed a weird habit of giving Charlotte the "stank eye" every time she saw her. Even when she spoke to her, which was rare, Charlotte couldn't help but think that there was tension between them. That night, however, Bianca seemed civil.

 _She probably drank something to help her loosen up a little._

Charlotte smiled at the thought and listened intently as the other girls ranted and raved about anything and everything. It was only a matter of time before a red cup appeared in front of her. She looked up to see Bianca standing above her.

"Here," she said, "Everyone _has_ to have a little fun tonight! I know you don't drink much, but you'll love this! I promise!"

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders and gladly took the cup out of her hands. She took a tiny sip, and when Bianca sat down again, she turned to her. "Wow. This is really good. You can barely taste the alcohol."

Bianca responded with a smile. "So… Everyone's been wondering… Do you or do you not have feelings for Henry?"

 _The hell?_

Instead of answering, Charlotte rolled her eyes and took a long drink from her cup.

* * *

 **At exactly 2:07 a.m., Charlotte was lying on the carpet with tears slowly falling from her eyes.**

 _Why am I so sad?_

She felt her cell phone buzzing in her jacket but didn't have the strength or attention span to pick it up. She was on her back, zoning in and out of consciousness, until she saw a figure appear above her.

 _God, is that you?_

The figure quickly lowered itself to its knees, allowing her to see warm chestnut eyes.

 _Henry?_

Henry grabbed her hands, and pulled her up to a seated position. He used his thumb to wipe away her tears. "Hey, you alright? Jasper and I tried to reach you, but you didn't answer."

Charlotte avoided Henry's eyes, choosing instead to check out the scene around her. Only a few girls were left—three passed out on the bed, two sitting on chairs, gossiping to themselves, and one, upside-down at the windowsill, drunk-calling her boyfriend. Charlotte didn't know what came over her, but tears welled up in her eyes again.

Henry ran a hand through his hair, trying to evaluate the situation. "How much did you drink? You literally only become like this when you've had too much."

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders and stared at the carpet. "I didn't. Drink much…" she sniffled, "Just. One cup…"

Henry scanned the room until he could spot an empty bottle of alcohol on one of the dressers. "Geez… You all had mixed drinks with _that_? Are you kidding me? That's like the worst thing ever. They don't call it _silent-but-deadly_ for nothing!" He raised a hand to lift up her chin. "Who gave that to you?"

Charlotte didn't respond, avoiding his eyes again.

Henry sighed. "It was Bianca, wasn't it?"

She nodded.

He brushed a few braids out of her face, causing her to look at him this time. "I'm really sorry, Char," he said, "We should probably head home. Jasper's still waiting for us downstairs."

In a matter of seconds, Henry got to his feet and picked Charlotte up, bridal-style. A wave of comfort washed over her as he carried her downstairs, avoiding party-goers along the way. Most people were still there, though they were acting crazier than before. Luckily, Jasper didn't drink much at all, and Henry was already sober. Charlotte's mind wandered a little as she and her friends arrived at the car.

Henry decided that it was smart for his friends to spend the night at his place—nobody would be home for a couple of more days. Jasper was already planning to stay over, and Charlotte made up an excuse ahead of time. She told her parents that she was spending the night at another classmate's house. This way, she could go to the party and be with Henry and Jasper afterwards. They planned on staying up the rest of the night to watch movies, but everyone was exhausted. After they all changed into their pjs, sleeping arrangements were made. While Jasper chose to sleep on floor, Henry decided that he and Charlotte would share his bed. Charlotte was still a mess, so he wanted to keep an eye on her. Afterwards, the lights were turned off, and in minutes, all three friends were knocked out.

* * *

 **It was almost 8 am.**

Even though the sun rose, the curtains on the windows were thick enough that only slivers of light could be spotted on the walls.

In her deep sleep, Charlotte could feel two fingers pinch her nose lightly. She opened her eyes to see Henry sitting up on the bed, feeling around his desk for his glasses. After he could finally see, he turned around to face her and placed the back of his hand on her forehead.

"You're burning up," he whispered.

Henry left the room, and Charlotte slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. She set one of her feet down on the floor, only to jerk it back on the bed. She accidentally tapped Jasper's head, causing him to stir in his sleeping bag.

 _Sorry, Jasper!_

Thankfully, it wasn't enough to wake him up.

Henry entered the room again with two pills and a glass of water in hand. Charlotte took them without hesitation, and he removed his glasses once again. Afterwards, he crawled back into bed—this time, lying on his back. After she put down the cup, he caught her eye. Then, he motioned for her to get closer to him.

Charlotte carefully laid her head on Henry's chest and locked one of her hands into his. As he stroked her arm up and down, she couldn't help but notice his breathing—slow and calm.

"You alright?" he whispered.

"Yeah," she said.

They held a comfortable silence, and minutes later, Henry was asleep.

All Charlotte could think about was how this was the first time she and Henry were this close. She contemplated her friendship with him over and over again while taking in the steady rhythm of his heart.

 _Maybe I'm still drunk._

Before long, Charlotte's thoughts slowed down, her dark eyes fluttered, and she felt her own consciousness suspend.

* * *

 **What did you think? :]**

 **Thanks for reading, and reviews are welcome!**


	6. Always

**So... I was so close to not posting this chapter. The last time I did, I got lots of backlash because of how political the topic is. But, then I was like, never mind! Haha. I think it's important for EVERYONE to know what happens in the US. I wrote this in response to two events that happened last year (July 6th and 7th):**

 **1\. The slaughter of Philando Castile (REST IN POWER)**

 **2\. The mass slaughter of the Dallas police officers (REST IN POWER)**

 ***Note: This means that this chapter is a definite TRIGGER WARNING. (In other words, turn back now if you're sensitive to topics like this)***

* * *

Summer classes were finally over, and Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper decided to award themselves with a lazy day.

They held an anime movie marathon in Charlotte's dorm room. Since she lived by herself, her room was smaller than most. Her bed took up nearly half of it, while her desk, drawers, and closet occupied the rest. She and Jasper were on the bed—Jasper napped, as always, with a pillow over his face, and she was on the opposite side, lying on her stomach and focusing on the small television on top of the dresser. As for Henry, he was on a chair, busy wiping his glasses with his shirt. When he was done, he lounged backwards and propped his feet up on the desk. He and Charlotte were silent as they watched their third movie of the day.

About an hour in, they heard _buzzes_ and _dings_ coming from their cell phones. Notification after notification was sounded from their devices, and it was enough to wake Jasper up. Charlotte grabbed the remote, paused the movie, and sat up to fish her phone out of her pocket. Henry did the same, already going through his messages. Jasper was last to respond and removed the pillow from his eyes to check his own phone—before dropping it on his face, of course. As he winced in pain, Charlotte giggled quietly, while Henry shook his head. It was only a matter of time before all three friends were immersed in the virtual world.

There was an uproar from their classmates all over social media.

 _Black and Blue._

To Charlotte, the entire world seemed to shout these words out of sadness, anger, fear, and just plain hurt.

 _Not again_ , she thought, _this can't be happening again._

Another innocent life was taken, and there was a video to prove it. It was a _live_ video taken hours before.

Almost immediately, Charlotte went to the corner of the room and dug her laptop out of her backpack. Then, she placed it on the desk after Henry set his feet on the floor. When the device was completely on, she opened a web browser and logged into her one of her accounts. It only took her two seconds to find the video—it was the only one with a bright, red WARNING sign on the preview. Before she hit "play", she took a moment to check on her friends. Jasper was now sitting up, with his phone facing down on the bed. His face was red and emotionless as he stared at the screen—she automatically knew he was getting angry. In contrast, Henry was looking up at her, eyes wide with worry on his face. Then, he nodded, scooted his seat closer to the desk, and she sat on his lap. She waited for Jasper to come closer before she started the video.

 _A woman recorded the bloody aftermath of a routine traffic stop._

In that unfortunate minute, Henry muttered a faint, _oh my God_ , and Jasper shot out a few outraged curse words, startling his friends. Charlotte's heart ached, and it got worse after the video ended. Her anxiety level rose, and she held her stomach.

"Charlotte." Henry placed his hands on her arms. "You alright?"

She nodded and fought back tears with all her might. "Yeah." She knew it wasn't best to ignore the events that were unfolding, but it was the only way to stay sane—at least for a little while.

"Well, I'm not!" Jasper exploded, "How are you okay, Charlotte? How is any of this okay?" He paced the room back and forth. "This guy was _killed_ by someone who was supposed to protect him, and this video was livestreamed! A kid was in the car with them too! What the fuck is happening in this country?"

All Charlotte could do was close her eyes and pray that Jasper would stop talking, but he didn't. Though, as he continued with his rant, a _crash_ and a few screams were sounded outside the door, causing him to stop. He opened the door, and more yelling could be heard down the hallway. Charlotte jumped off of Henry and the three rushed out, heading to the common area of the dorm. There, they found their classmates standing up, blocking the flat-screen television. There were about thirty students—all of different backgrounds—either in heated arguments, crying while on the phone, or painfully silent. A few chairs were toppled over, and three glass plates were smashed on the kitchen floor. Henry and Jasper went in the crowd, trying to calm everyone down—well, at least Henry was. Jasper was in his own world, arguing with people who didn't agree with his views. Charlotte took a few steps back when she heard what was coming out of everyone's mouths:

"Black people don't matter in this country! When will they stop killing us?"

"Who's _they_? Police officers? My mom's a police officer, and she isn't a killer!"

"Fuck the police!"

"All of you blacks need to go back where you came from!"

"Hell no! I'm from _here_! And, you white people are the ones who stole us out of our land in the first place!"

"Not all police officers are bad!"

"Black lives matter!"

"Blue lives matter!"

"All lives matter!"

The world froze in time, and the chaos didn't seem like it would end anytime soon. Henry and Jasper were still in the mix—Jasper seemed angrier than before, and Henry's quiet strength was wavering. The television was still running, but this time, nobody was blocking it. A news channel was on, and now, Charlotte could see why everyone exploded.

 _Five police officers were murdered in response to current events._

Charlotte's heart ached again. _Are you kidding me?_ she thought, _Nobody deserves to die_. She felt her eyes sting as she turned around and ran back down the hallway. She heard Henry and Jasper call out for her, but it was too late. She slipped into her room and shut the door behind her.

Without turning on the lights, Charlotte stood in front of the cheap mirror that hung in front of her closet door. Then, she took a moment to study her reflection.

 _Why is this happening? Why now? Why us?_

 _Why this skin?_

Charlotte's head spun, and she couldn't breathe. She felt herself shaking—her body wanted so badly to get rid of that negative energy inside. So, her right hand suddenly turned into a fist, and without thinking…

 _She punched the mirror with all her might, and it shattered into a million pieces._

Charlotte fell to her knees and gasped in pain as she gripped the wrist that held her bloodied hand. "Shit!" she cried. Not too long afterwards, footsteps were sounded, and someone knocked on the door.

"Hey, are you alright?" Henry said.

When she didn't answer, he opened the door, and his face turned ghost-white. Without saying anything, he opened the closet and searched around until he found a washcloth. Then, he kneeled in front of her and wrapped it around her hand. Jasper barged into the room soon afterwards.

When he saw his best friends,

And glass,

And blood...

His hands shot up in fear.

"Jasper," Henry said sternly, "My keys are in our room, on my desk… Go get my car."

Jasper nodded and stumbled out of the scene.

Before Henry did anything else, he shut the door and locked it. Charlotte knew he did that so the RAs wouldn't see what happened. If they found out, the three of them would be in huge trouble. Afterwards, Henry slid down against the nearest wall and pulled Charlotte away from the broken shards. He wrapped her tightly in his arms as he applied pressure to her hand. As a response, she was overcome with emotion.

"It's okay," Henry said, "You're safe."

After a few minutes, Charlotte's breathing was calm, so he spoke again.

"We're gonna be friends forever—you, me, and Jasper." His voice shook. "We're always gonna be friends… Jasper and I are very aware that we're white and you're black… Never think that we ignore your identity. We see how much you struggle. _I_ see how much you hurt all the time… I'm sorry that the world is shitty and has to remind all of us about our differences every single fucking day."

Charlotte stayed silent, and Henry continued to speak. "When I first saw you in the second grade, the first thing I thought in my head was, 'Wow… This girl is beautiful.' And, I thought about how perfect your skin was—I've never seen _anyone_ with skin like yours. And then, I saw your hands…"

Charlotte lifted her head from Henry's chest to look at him. His own eyes were red and watery. She wondered if he was gonna cry—because he rarely did.

Henry smiled back at her. "I looked at your hands because my parents told me that no matter how different we look, there really are just two types of people in the world: _those who use their hands to fight… and those who use their hands to hold._ "

Charlotte felt her heart warm up.

Henry sighed. "And that's why I ran up to you, grabbed your hand, got down on one knee, and asked—"

"Will you be my best friend?" Charlotte said quietly.

Henry nodded. "I know that we look different, but I've always believed that we're exactly the same. You and I—"

His voice cracked.

"We don't use our hands to fight."

Henry took off his glasses as a few tears ran down his face.

Charlotte slowly wiped them away with her undamaged hand, closed her eyes, then gently placed her forehead on his.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he whispered back… _"Always."_

* * *

 **I wrote this because I was at school when I found out about these events. Within seconds, our entire dorm was filled with complete chaos and fear. Lots of what I wrote here actually happened.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading, and reviews are welcome (critical ones too-I ain't scared! :D)**


	7. Liar

**Thanks for being patient. This is the LAST old chapter that I'm posting, so after this is NEW CONTENT!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The weather was brewing in Swellview, and according to Charlotte, things were only gonna get worse. Summer rainstorms in the city were rare and unpredictable. A torrential downpour caused the roads and sidewalks to be flooded in minutes, causing vehicles to become stranded. On top of that, winds were heavy, so visibility was limited. It wasn't long before Swellview's emergency sirens were sounded, and the entire city was shut down.

Charlotte and Jasper were stuck at Henry and Piper's place. The four planned on playing tennis at the high school, but the storm hit before they left the house. Mr. and Mrs. Hart were in the next town over, so they let Henry know that they would be staying at a motel for the night. By chance, Charlotte and Jasper's parents were in similar situations. All of their parents knew each other very well and trusted their kids, so they advised them to stay put. In their minds, anything was better than leaving them without each other during an emergency. Though Charlotte, Henry, and Piper were relieved that they would all be together for a while, Jasper couldn't help but find ways to sulk.

"Ugh! Why does the weather have to suck today?" he sighed.

He and Piper were clearing the kitchen table, while Henry and Charlotte were at the sink, washing dishes. In Charlotte's mind, she just sat through the quietest dinner with her friends. She half-expected that with Henry, since he was a little introverted, but things were off with Piper and Jasper. Usually, they bickered with each other or told a crazy story or two, but that day, they were silent. They simply watched her and Henry and exchanged a few words to each other. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but it was enough to make her suspicious.

"The weather sucks because _you_ suck," Piper sang. She walked over to the sink and handed a dirty plate to Henry. He laughed a little, but stopped once he noticed Jasper giving him daggers.

"Piper, how could you?" Jasper said, "We're doubles partners for life!"

"Um… I never wanted to be your partner in the first place," she shot back, "Like I said, you suck."

Henry turned around and leaned on the counter with a smug look on his face. "Yeah, Jasper. You could never beat me."

"You sure about that Hen?" Jasper said, "If we played today, I would've beat your ass."

Charlotte dropped some utensils in the soapy water and faced her friends to join the conversation. "Guys, there will be no ass-beating today or _ever_. Now, stop being mean to each other." After saying this, Henry smiled at her. Then, Jasper and Piper glanced at each other and shared a suspicious nod. Seconds later, Jasper looked Charlotte straight in the eyes and gave her the most evil smirk she'd ever seen in her life.

"Oh, really Charlotte?" he said, "I don't know… I bet you'd _love_ to beat Henry's ass."

 _Charlotte screamed bloody murder in her head._

Without hesitating, she grabbed the faucet hose from behind her and aimed it straight at Jasper. Henry held a hand to his face—now crimson—and fixed his eyes on his best friends. Piper, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear.

Charlotte displayed no emotion.

"Fuck you, Jasper," she said, "All the way to _hell_."

Jasper's face fell, and the hose was fired. When the attack was over, he stood there, soaked in tap water and loads of regret. Piper sprinted out of the kitchen, dove onto the living room couch, and pulled a pillow over her face, so she could die in laughter without interrupting the neighbors. Charlotte glanced back at Henry, whose only response was to shrug his shoulders and lift his hands up in confusion.

 _This is gonna be a long night,_ she thought.

* * *

Like Charlotte predicted, the weather got worse. Startling rounds of thunder and lightning filled the city, and light hail littered the streets.

"Wow, it's kinda scary outside," Piper said, "Makes you wanna jump in someone's arms, right?"

It was almost midnight, and the four of them were playing board games on her bedroom floor. She and Jasper, now dry, insisted that they play "The Newlywed Game", to Charlotte's dismay. The object of the game was to answer as many correct questions about your partner as possible. She and Henry made one team, while Piper and Jasper formed the other. She knew Jasper chose Piper as his partner as a way to make up for their tennis match, but deep down…

She couldn't help but think there was something else up their sleeves.

"Uh… No. Nobody's jumping in anyone's arms," Henry sighed, "Piper, stop being a weirdo and ask the next question."

Piper scoffed and picked up a card from the board. "Alright... What is Charlotte's favorite color?"

Henry paused, then looked up at the ceiling in silence. Piper and Jasper's faces fell, and Charlotte watched them in disbelief.

 _Why are you guys upset? Henry and I are the ones that are losing._

While Charlotte dominated the questions she had on Henry, he answered every single one about her wrong.

 **Every.**

 **Single.**

 **One.**

Henry scratched his head and avoided Charlotte's eyes. "I don't know… Sorry Char."

Charlotte placed a hand to her chest, which stung a little. "It's alright."

At this point, Piper turned to Jasper and whispered something in his ear. Like before, Charlotte couldn't hear what they were saying, but this time, she could make out the last phrase: **"** _ **This isn't working."**_

 _What's not working?_ she cried in her head, _And what are you two hiding?_

Right then and there, Piper announced that the game was over. As she and Jasper put the game up, Charlotte couldn't stop thinking about the looks on their faces—they were definitely disappointed about something. Jasper even told Henry that he was "a total letdown". Of course, this earned him a thump in the forehead. Before Charlotte's thoughts consumed her, the guys wished her and Piper a "good night", and they left for Henry's room down the hall.

As the storm continued, Charlotte changed and got ready for bed. As always, the Harts left a box of extra supplies in their home in case there were guests staying over. This included extra sets of clothes for her and Jasper—she commended them for constantly thinking ahead. That night, the girls shared Piper's bed since it was big enough for the both of them. It only took Piper minutes before she was snoring. And, even though Charlotte thought herself to oblivion, it wasn't enough to keep her awake. She eventually fell into a deep sleep…

Until she started sweating.

Charlotte woke up underneath Piper's covers, uncomfortably hot. She kicked the covers off of her body, then sat up. She looked over at Piper, who was still sleeping and unfazed by the room's drastic temperature change. Then, she slowly got out of the bed and tip-toed out the door, to the hallway. She felt around the walls until she found a light switch and flipped it up. Nothing happened to alleviate the darkness, causing her to shake her head.

 _Of course_ , she thought, _The power's out, which means the air conditioner's dead. Why am I not surprised?_

Charlotte was extra careful as she walked downstairs. There was no sound coming from outside, so she assumed that the storm had passed. The house was a little too warm for her taste, so she thought it was a good idea to get fresh air for a few minutes. As she stepped out on the front porch, she noticed a figure hunching over at the swing, causing her to jump a little. The figure looked up, and it was none other than Henry.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," he said, "What are you doing out here? It's almost 3 am."

Charlotte closed the door behind her and crossed her arms. "I should be asking you the same thing. It's hella hot in your house, and I couldn't breathe," she smirked.

He motioned for her to come over. "It's a little chilly, but feel free to join me."

Charlotte gladly accepted the offer and took a seat next to Henry. Things got quiet as he clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and lowered his head to face the ground. She took it as a sign of him either resting or thinking, so she leaned on the armrest and focused on the neighborhood. The street lights revealed that the rain completely stopped. Large puddles filled the area, and trees were dripping themselves dry. Nothing could be heard, except for the wind, which now carried a frigid aura with it. For it being the summer, Charlotte was relieved—it was nice to have a break from the heatwave they've experienced for days. Though, a large gust soon followed, causing her body to tense up. Afterwards, she heard a _creak_ and light shuffling next to her.

"Are you cold?" Henry asked.

Charlotte turned around to see him stare at her with a serious look on his face. "No," she said.

He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. "Liar," he said.

Even though Charlotte rolled her eyes, she was secretly glad that someone could read her mind—or, at least try to. Out of her friends, Henry was the only one that always seemed to know what she was thinking or feeling. Sometimes, Jasper could be the same—he was observant and helped her out when she needed it the most—but not like Henry. No matter where he was, what he was doing, or how he felt, he constantly looked out for her, and she was thankful for that.

Henry smiled at Charlotte, then looked in the distance. The night sky was in clear view.

"Char?" he said.

"Yeah?"

"Was it just me, or were Jasper and Piper acting _really_ off today?"

"Boy… I've been thinking about it all day."

"Me too."

Both friends went silent again, and eventually, Charlotte dozed off. She was out for a while until she felt Henry gently rub her arm.

"Charlotte?" he whispered.

She slowly opened her eyes and adjusted herself to face him. "Yeah?" she mumbled.

"Your favorite color is indigo."

"What?"

"Your favorite color is indigo… Because it reminds you of the sky on a clear night. You told me five years ago, when we were in the seventh grade. There's no way I could forget that."

Charlotte felt her heart jump a little.

 _I knew it._

All Charlotte could do after Henry said those words was pinch his cheek, causing him to give her an innocent half-smile. Then, she rested her head on his shoulder once more. Before she dozed off for the second time, she watched the indigo sky welcome its stars back home, leaving Swellview in a dreamy trance.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! As always, reviews are welcome.**


	8. Fireworks

**Hello world! I apologize for disappearing! The last time I updated was 4 months ago. *hides in a corner* To be honest, I was dealing with a lot. But, in the end, I learned how to manage my health in a positive way. And, I'm so happy to write for you again.**

 **As I promised, these next chapters are suggestions from reviewers. As always, you can request one-shot ideas. Who knows? Maybe the next chapter will be dedicated to you!**

 **The idea for this chapter comes from _InuKaglover4ev22_. You're seriously one of my favorite people on this site, so why not choose you first? But, to be honest, imma apologize NOW. The setting and characters are exactly what you wanted, but everything else in the story turned into something completely left field. In other words, I followed my intuition, and this came out. I'm so sorry!**

 **P.S.: I tried adding you on Instagram, but I don't think you knew it was me. *cries* :(**

 **Haha! Anyways... to everyone who reads, PLEASE read my note after the end of this one-shot. I have a question to ask you.**

 **As always, Enjoy!**

* * *

The last thing Charlotte wanted- _the last thing she, Henry, and Jasper wanted_ -was to go to the beach.

It was a slow day at Junk-N-Stuff. Charlotte and Henry did inventory in the shop all morning, while Jasper manned the front desk, as usual. There was no indication of instability in Swellview, much to everyone's surprise. Danger lurked much more than usual, thanks to the country's current social climate. Because of this, Henry and Ray needed help on their missions, so Charlotte and Jasper were trained to act as backups for the two of them in case things escalated. And, things escalated _all the time_ -especially with what happened the previous week. Because of it, Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper couldn't function like normal. Charlotte assumed that Ray caught on to the troubled silence between the three, since he walked out of the elevator and to the counter with a fake-calm smile. Jasper gave him a bored stare, and Charlotte and Henry turned away from an old bookcase-they were in the middle of dusting small statues. When Ray caught everyone's attention, he suggested that they go to the beach, earning him a collective groan.

"You all deserve a day off," he started, "Just relax. Think of this as a company trip. If you don't go, you're FIRED."

"Really, Ray?" Charlotte said.

"Yeah." Henry set down a bottle of cleaner. "You're being unfair."

Jasper rubbed his forehead. "Can't we just go home?" he sighed.

"Nope," Ray said, "Look… Schwoz and I know it's been tough for the three of you since the group mission last week. We want you guys to use this time to reflect on what's happened and hopefully talk things out with each other."

"What?" Jasper scoffed, "We don't need to talk _anything_ out with each other, right guys?"

Charlotte avoided eye contact with him, and Henry shrugged his shoulders in uncertainty.

"Well, that settles it," Ray continued, "Clean up because we're closing shop early. In an hour, meet me back here because we're going to the beach!"

With that, Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper decided not to fight their boss on his decision. They did as they were told and stayed upstairs while Ray went downstairs to tell Schwoz the game plan. In twenty minutes, the trio closed the shop, and they went home to get ready for the trip.

* * *

Charlotte was just about finished packing her bag. She was in her bedroom, drastically searching for sunscreen. This was a huge contrast to how slow she and her friends walked on their way home. Even though Ray gave them short notice of the trip, they couldn't help but be held down by their loud thoughts. But, after Charlotte reached her room, she checked the time and went into a panic. She ripped off her hoodie and leggings and replaced them with a one-piece bathing suit and shorts. After she found sunscreen under her bed, she snatched a hair scrunchie from her dresser and sped to her mirror. There, she paused and stared at her reflection.

"Breathe," Charlotte said to herself. She carefully lowered herself to the carpet and sat on her knees. She took her time pulling her long braids in a high ponytail and secured it with the scrunchie. Once that was done, she closed her eyes and meditated in a comfortable silence until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to Henry crouching beside her and Jasper, not too far behind, sitting at her windowsill. A sudden breeze entered the room, giving her chills.

"You alright, Char?" Henry said, "You seem kinda distracted."

"I'm fine." Charlotte twirled a micro braid around her finger. "How about you guys?"

Henry and Jasper looked at each other for a few seconds before answering.

"Uh…" Henry slipped off his glasses, then looked up at the ceiling, as if searching for an answer. "I'm okay."

Jasper nodded his head in agreement.

Charlotte was positive that they were lying, like she was.

* * *

The drive to the beach took a lengthy hour. Ray and Schwoz talked it up in front of Ray's pick-up truck, while silence filled the back. Charlotte sat in between a seemingly-nonexistent Henry and Jasper. Henry focused a little too hard at the endless trees outside of his window, while Jasper was staring straight ahead, entranced by the music blasting through his headphones. All Charlotte could do was fall backwards in her seat and read a book. In time, the engine stopped and the silence was filled with wind rustling through trees and distant waves crashing against the shore.

To get to the beach, the five treaded through a forest full of weeping willows, which- _Charlotte had to admit_ -were somewhat creepy. After a little while, the patchy grass, twigs, and rocks underneath them turned into pearly white sand. Luckily, crystal clear water flowed straight ahead. The beach was nearly deserted, with a few passerby here and there, so Ray found a spot to set up camp rather quickly. And, just as quickly, Ray and Schwoz were off to their own adventure.

"Hey!" Henry called out to them, "Where are you going?"

Ray turned around suspiciously. "We're heading to the pier!"

"Way over there?" Jasper added.

"Yeah!" Schwoz chimed in, "'Tis where the fun peoples are!"

"And, there's gonna be a fireworks show there tonight," Ray said, "But, no worries. You'll be able to see it from here too."

Charlotte eyed her friends in confusion, and they watched as their seniors dropped out of sight. After a large blanket was set on the ground, Henry and Jasper tore off their shirts, left only with their swimming trunks. Charlotte struggled to pull down her shorts at first but eventually revealed her one-piece. She was met with a smirking Henry and wide-eyed Jasper.

"What?" she said, "Did you forget that I was a girl?"

"Kinda," Jasper teased.

Henry nudged him. "You look great, Char."

Charlotte smiled a little. "You guys too. Sometimes, I forget that we're adults now. Just yesterday, you were like scrawny chickens… Well, Henry was scrawny, and Jasper, you were the _epitome_ of baby fat."

"Hey!" Jasper crossed his arms.

Henry let out a deep laugh that made Charlotte feel warm inside.

"Anyways," Jasper said, "We're semi-adults. Even though we're nineteen, we're still technically kids."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Charlotte's voice went soft. "But, how come I don't feel like one anymore?"

"Because things happen," Henry said.

"Things happen," Jasper repeated.

"Terrible things happen..." Charlotte concluded.

The three were silent for a few seconds until Henry grabbed Charlotte's hands and pulled her in close. "Let's have fun today and try to forget everything, okay?"

Charlotte glanced at Jasper, who seemed kinda distant, then back at Henry. Sunlight bounced off of his glasses, almost blinding her. So, she slowly removed them from his face. Revealed were brilliant brown eyes that were heavy, just like hers.

Charlotte wanted to frown but forced herself to smile. "Okay."

When the three stepped in the water, a shock went through their systems. All bad seemed to be forgotten.

Charlotte admitted that this alone made her feel relieved, at least for a little while.

* * *

After a few hours, the sun set.

Charlotte sat on the blanket and continued her book with a sleeping Henry lying right beside her. Jasper was to her left, reclining against a tree, again with headphones over his ears and peering into the distance. A group of people were lighting up sparklers nearby, making for a pleasant sight.

Then, out of nowhere, Charlotte saw it.

 _ **A magnificent streak of sparkling white light zipped up and across the twilight sky.**_

Before everyone knew it, an earth-shattering _BOOM_ shook the atmosphere, causing Charlotte to drop her book on Henry's face and cover her ears. She could feel Henry sit upright and heard a muffled, _ow_. A chorus of white and blue and violet light suddenly launched into the air, followed by flowering explosions that made Jasper stand up in surprise and Henry to unconsciously grab Charlotte's knee. Charlotte cowered in fear, still covering her ears. Only now, she couldn't breathe, no matter how much she told herself to.

Because _BOOM_ ,

After _BOOM_ ,

After _BOOM_ ,

After _BOOM_ ,

Those were not fireworks to Charlotte.

 _ **They were gunshots.**_

Her memories came flooding in like a storm.

Before she knew it, she felt herself being lifted into the air.

She was floating.

 _Was she floating?_

 _Did she die?_

 _She's dead._

She was sure of it.

Then, she noticed the explosions fading away,

A tiny hint of cologne lingering in the air,

And warm skin embracing hers.

 _Someone was carrying her._

She opened her eyes and was met with complete darkness.

Charlotte's limp body suddenly went stiff from fear, and she tightened her grip around "whoever's" neck.

"Breathe," a low voice said, "You're safe, Charlotte."

 _Henry._

Charlotte's eyes adjusted to the darkness. She noticed the weeping willow trees surrounding them. They swayed fiercely in the wind and glowed a dim green from the fireworks above. Crickets chirped, and once again, distant waves crashed against the shore. Henry took his time carrying Charlotte through the forest, and Jasper trailed right beside them, holding their bags.

Suddenly, Charlotte felt exactly what Henry wanted her to feel: _Safe_.

* * *

After a while, the trio exited the forest and reached Ray's truck.

Jasper opened the tailgate of the vehicle and climbed inside. Henry set Charlotte to her feet, but not before making sure she wouldn't panic again. When the three slipped back into the clothes they came with, Jasper grabbed the beach blanket and draped it over the truck bed. Luckily, it was covered with soft padding. Thrown in the back were two large pillows. Jasper thanked himself for bringing them to the trip. Afterwards, he stretched, lowered himself, then rested on his back. Henry boosted Charlotte up, and then he followed suit.

The three of them were lying next to each other:

Jasper,

Then Charlotte,

Then Henry.

Charlotte sat up for a second to pull her scrunchie off, immediately setting her braids free. Once she adjusted her hair, she laid her head on Henry's chest. As a response, Henry wrapped his arm around her.

"Guys?" Charlotte whispered.

"Yeah?" Henry and Jasper said.

"We almost died during our last mission."

"I know," Jasper sighed.

"We watched kids get shot and killed," Charlotte continued.

"I know," Henry answered.

Charlotte's voice cracked.

 **"We couldn't save them."**

 _Silence._

Jasper slipped back on his headphones,

Henry held Charlotte, as if wishing for eternal life,

And, Charlotte wept into his shirt.

In the midst of it all, she could recall a few things:

The three of them smelling like sweet salt water,

The gentle ocean breeze, desperate to lift their spirits,

And the eerie afterglow of magnificent fireworks in the twilight sky.

 _For some reason, it reeked of fear and of hope, all at once._

* * *

 **So, I'm not going to be updating this story as often as I'd like because I'm in the process of writing my first novel. But, I've decided to create my own blog site and launch it really soon as a way for people to sample my work and critique it.**

 **Would you be interested in reading it? I know it's not FanFiction, but it has a similar writing style like the stories I've made on here. If so, I can post the name of my site on here, and you all can read away!**

 **Anyways... Thank you again for reading.**

 **And, reviews and PMs are welcome! :D**


	9. Home

**This chapter is the longest I've ever written! Hopefully that's a good thing. Enjoy! :]**

* * *

Charlotte's chest was on fire.

The finish line at the Man Cave's indoor track was only 400 meters away— _400 meters too far_ , if you asked her.

At this point of the test, the Dirty South classics blasting through the speakers, blinding lights overhead, and synthetic ground beneath her were nothing but a distant, yet hellish nightmare.

"TIME!" Ray shouted. He _clicked_ his flaming red stopwatch.

Charlotte's legs buckled, and she tripped over her Nike's. She wiped out: her whole body skid and tumbled across the track.

Henry and Jasper cried her name from afar.

As hurried footsteps approached Charlotte from her left and right, she slowly pushed herself up to sit on her knees. She clutched the ground and winced. A waterfall of sweat dripped from her forehead, down her shoulder-length braids, sports bra, abs, and finally, her leggings.

A cool towel was gently placed around her neck. She opened her eyes slowly, then looked up.

Schwoz stood above her and patted her on the back. "Good job," he said.

"But not good enough!" Ray interrupted. He crossed his arms and scolded at them.

Schwoz rolled his eyes.

* * *

Today was one of Team Man's training days, _a.k.a._ _**hell**_ to Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper.

Ever since a villain infiltrated the Man Cave years ago, Ray forced the three to take part in physical and mental challenges to prepare for every emergency imaginable. These "boot camps" used to only happen a few times each year, since they were still in school. But, ever since the major scare in town last April, Ray forced them all to train whenever there was down time.

It was Sunday, and Charlotte and her friends were supposed to take part in Swellview High's first of many senior class trips: the amusement park at the pier. Instead, they practiced their speed and agility in a military-style obstacle course on the ground floor, just below the Man Cave. Almost immediately afterwards was the 5K in the upstairs track, hidden on the floor below Junk-N-Stuff. All year, the challenges Ray created were unpredictable. Yesterday was kickboxing and trivia. The day before that was weightlifting and a scavenger hunt around the city. Since it was the weekend, there was ample time for training.

Before the 5K practice started at sundown, Charlotte overhead Jasper joke to Henry that Ray looked like one of their school's hardass cross country coaches. He wore the signature tracksuit, baseball cap, and whistle around his neck to match. Even worse, he sported a glare that seemed to wanna pierce her soul.

"The three of you need to try harder!" Ray fumed. He threw up his arms for emphasis.

Charlotte's chest tightened again, and despite the towel around her neck, her head spun little by little. She closed her eyes once more, but flinched when a rough hand grabbed her upper arm.

Henry kneeled in front of her, his amber eyes intense and focused on her own. His ears, face, and chest were still flushed. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. His damp hair was pulled by his glasses, which were now a makeshift headband. When they almost slid off, he dropped them into the right pocket of his joggers.

"You good?" he whispered.

Charlotte nodded.

"Don't worry about it," he continued, "Ray is being a _total_ ass today."

Ray blew his whistle at the two and approached them, pushing Schwoz out of the way.

"Henry, do you want to die?" He hovered over them.

Henry took his arm off of Charlotte, stood up, and shot daggers at the man. "No, but this is kinda ridic—"

"I don't wanna hear it!" Ray shot back. "You, Charlotte, and Jasper did TERRIBLE today. If this was a mission, you all would have died!"

Charlotte's eyes stung, and she looked away from them all.

Henry stepped closer to Ray, and bickered with him, his ears getting redder by the second. In the midst of their argument, Charlotte wiped her face with the towel, set it on the ground, then used Henry's body to pull herself carefully to her feet. The entire time, he didn't move an inch—he was as solid as a tree. She stepped away from the two and stretched her arms a little.

Schwoz snapped his fingers and caught Charlotte's attention. He gave her a knowing look, and she nodded for him to work his magic. That was his cue to stand in between Henry and Ray in a rare attempt to break up their argument. As he deescalated the situation, Charlotte gladly walked away.

* * *

Jasper sat against a wall, with his headphones over his ears and eyes closed. Like Henry, he was shirtless, but wore his favorite basketball shorts. His running shoes sat beside him, and inside the left one was his silver inhaler. It was only used for emergencies, but these days, he carried it with him 24/7. He finished his laps about 3 minutes before Charlotte did, crossing the finish line in the midst of an asthma attack. Charlotte would've stopped to help him if Ray didn't pressure her to keep running.

Before Charlotte reached Jasper, his blue eyes caught hers. They almost seemed lifeless, but even so, he smiled at her.

 _Typical Jasper_ , she thought to herself.

"You good?" he said, taking off his headphones.

Charlotte nodded.

Jasper frowned. "If you say so… But if you need my inhaler—"

Charlotte shook her head and slightly waved her hand, _no_. Then, she used his shoulder to carefully sit next to him. He took out his phone and showed her posts from Patina on their class trip.

Jasper groaned. This was the first year Patina was cleared to attend school with them. It was also her first time to the amusement park, and the three of them were supposed to spend that life-changing moment with her. Before Jasper could say anything, Charlotte squeezed his arm, and he smiled at her in defeat. He slipped back on his headphones—as a distraction, she assumed.

Eventually, Henry and Ray's shouts disappeared. It took a very pissed Schwoz threatening to use his stun-gun on them to shut them both up. Ray grumbled to himself and fumed some more as he and Schwoz started for the elevators back to the Man Cave.

Henry let out a deep sigh and approached his friends. Jasper quickly got up, grabbed his inhaler, and slipped on his running shoes. Charlotte tried pulling herself up with the help of the wall behind her, but Henry sped up the process and crouched to her level. By instinct, she jumped on his back, and Jasper smirked. The three left the track in silence, and Charlotte's heart slowed down, at least for a little while.

* * *

Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper headed for their personal locker rooms down the hall.

When Charlotte entered hers, she checked the mirrors to inspect the damage done to her hair. As she pinned back a loose braid, the electricity was cut out. She rushed out to the hall, then to the guy's rooms next door.

 **They were nowhere to be found.**

Ray's voice suddenly echoed through the pitch black hallways:

 **"Final challenge of the evening: The escape room! Henry, Charlotte, and Jasper, you have five minutes to find each other and get the hell outta this floor!"**

 _What the fuck!_ Charlotte thought.

Her chest stung on cue.

A huge countdown clock with eerie crimson letters was projected onto the wall at the end of the hall.

Charlotte backed into the door behind her, froze, then came back to life when she realized that a minute already passed. So, she took a deep breath, and frantically searched high and low for her friends.

 **"THREE MINUTES!"** Ray shouted through the speakers.

Charlotte's heart raced, and she rushed through the locker rooms, spare training rooms, and the weapons room around the corner.

 **"ONE MINUTE!"**

Charlotte gasped for air and decided to head for the track this time.

But, she came to an abrupt stop.

Her soul left her body.

 ** _A large, looming black figure marched towards her._**

 ** _Its face was covered, so she couldn't see who or what that thing was._**

 ** _Even worse, it moved faster and faster until it was straight-up charging at her like a bull!_**

Charlotte's stomach dropped, and she disappeared as if her life depended on it. There weren't even thirty seconds left before she took a right and ran up the back stairway as high as it could take her. She passed Junk-N-Stuff and pushed open the double-doors that led to the roof.

She was met with a group of artsy lawn chairs and a festive picnic table surrounded by beds of lilies, daisies, roses, and a million twinkling lanterns. In the distance, the full moon covered Swellview in a dreamy glow.

Charlotte dropped to her knees and hyperventilated.

 **She blacked out for what she thought was a second, but opened her eyes to see a wide-eyed Henry just inches from her face.**

His arms were wrapped around her body, and she was sitting on his lap. He'd brought her so close that she could practically hear his heart pounding out of his chest. It seemed so unreal that her mind wouldn't give her grace.

"Charlotte." Henry said.

 _We're dying…_ she thought to herself.

"Charlotte."

 _We're dying and it's all my fault._

"Charlotte." he repeated, a little louder this time.

Charlotte's wandering eyes returned to his.

"You're okay," Henry said firmly, "We're in the garden."

 _What the hell?_

"Charlotte…" He held her tighter. "You're safe."

Tears streamed down her face.

Henry placed his forehead on hers. "Breathe," he whispered, "Count from 10 to one, okay?"

Nothing.

"Charlotte?"

Nothing.

"Count with me, okay?"

She grabbed his shoulders in fear.

"You're fine," he breathed, "Ten… nine… eight…"

 _We're dying…_

"Seven… six… five…"

 _We're..._

"Four… Three… Two…"

 _Henry?_

"One."

Silence.

Henry pulled his head back and stared at Charlotte. His eyes softened. "Are you with me?"

Charlotte nodded slowly.

Henry smirked. "What's my name?"

"Henry," she whispered.

He nodded. "What's your name?"

"Charlotte."

"And what's our best friend's name?"

"Jasper."

"Good… Now, why did we choose to work with Captain Man?"

Charlotte's eyes stung. "Because we're idiots."

Henry let out a relieved laugh and held Charlotte for a minute.

She rested her head on his chest. "How'd you know?" she mumbled.

"You didn't say a word all day."

Charlotte lifted her head and stared at him. "That's it?"

Henry nodded. "I realized a long time ago that right before your anxiety gets bad, you get super quiet."

"Huh." She looked away, a little embarrassed. "I wonder if Jasper noticed."

"Oh, he did. I told him to keep his eyes open."

"So, that's why he offered for me to use his inhaler."

"Yup."

Henry pulled Charlotte in close again. His eyebrows rose when she broke their embrace.

"So, what was that black nightmare thing chasing us?" she said, "I thought we were gonna die."

"A hologram. Just like the clock."

"Really? I'm SO quitting this shitty job."

"Hey, but at least we finished the challenge."

"Not before I freaked out."

"But, we found you."

"That, you did..." Charlotte pinched Henry's cheek, then wiggled free from his arms, stood up, and dusted herself off. "Where's Jasper anyways?"

Henry followed suit and pushed his hair back. "He reported back to Ray for us. They should be up here pretty soon."

And just like that, Charlotte and Henry turned around to see Jasper, Ray, and Schwoz entering the garden.

* * *

Ray motioned for everyone to sit down by the rose bushes. Henry and Jasper sat on either end of a large bench, and Charlotte sat in between them. She glanced at Jasper, who put his hands up in confusion. Henry seemed prepared to glare at Ray again.

Ray carried over a lawn chair to face the three, while Schwoz crossed his arms and leaned against a brick wall nearby.

"First," Ray started, "I wanted to say _good job_ for completing the challenge. Even though it didn't go as planned, you guys proved to me how in sync you are to each other. Even if you aren't in the same room, you always seem to know where to find each other just by gut feeling alone." He laughed a little to himself. "It's amazing, really. Most people spend their entire lives trying to get each other the way you three do, and that's truly the strongest aspect about Team Man."

Schwoz nodded in agreement. "We are VERY impressed by you."

Jasper slowly raised his hand.

"Yes, Jasper?" Ray sighed.

"Does this mean we'll never go through this training from hell again?"

Ray scoffed. "NO."

Jasper frowned.

"But," Ray continued, "I will require them a little less. I know it's your senior year, so it's only fair that you get time to have fun as well."

Henry's eyes softened. "Thanks, Ray."

Charlotte and Jasper smiled and gave each other a knowing look.

Ray stood up. "This was your last training session of the weekend, but before you go, I'm requiring a few minutes of reflection. Write, rest, do whatever you need to process what happened today."

 **Even though Charlotte hated the way Ray pushed her and her friends til they broke, she was grateful to be on his team.**

Ray walked over to the other side of the garden and leaned against the railing. He took off his hat, sighed, and watched Swellview below. Charlotte wondered what he was thinking about.

Meanwhile, Schwoz grabbed his favorite watering can from a small tool shed and watered some parched sunflowers.

Charlotte remembered when Schwoz approached her years ago, when she, Henry, and Jasper were fourteen. There was a rough day when he trained her on navigating the Man Cave's computer systems, and they took a well-deserved break. During that hour, he told her stories about how back in his country, it was common to see community gardens everywhere. It was a shame to him that in Swellview, there weren't many around to relax in. So, a week later, with Ray's approval, she surprised him with gardening supplies on the roof of Junk-N-Stuff. As a special project, the two geniuses spent several afternoons building the most beautiful garden they could. Since it was located on one of the highest points of the city, it was Team Man's well-kept secret. It was their home away from home—their safe space.

* * *

Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper left the bench for the farthest spot of the garden, opposite from Ray and Schwoz. A cool gust of wind blew in their faces as they approached the ledge. Jasper leaned over and rested his arms on the smooth concrete. The bright lights of Swellview below and beyond looked like a million stars. In the distance, a rainbow of colors flashed and blinked and twinkled along the pier.

"Patina texted me and said the trip was fun," Jasper said, "But she wished we were there."

Charlotte rubbed his arm. "That's okay. There's always next time."

"Yeah," Henry chimed in, "We can totally go next weekend if you want."

"But, aren't we training then too?" Jasper sighed.

"Yeah," Charlotte said, "But Ray did say we needed to have fun once in a while. Skipping out just this once won't hurt anyone."

"Yeah, bud," Henry added, "We'll come up with a plan."

Jasper smiled at his friends. "Thanks guys."

The three continued to watch Swellview in a trance. The town was still very much alive, despite it being past dark. Charlotte's thoughts lingered from herself, to Henry and Jasper, and finally the whole town.

 **Another gust of wind rustled throughout the garden when she took a step back from the ledge.**

Henry and Jasper looked back at her. "What?" they asked her.

"I get it now," Charlotte started, "We're watching over Swellview. Ray made us reflect because we're literally watching over Swellview. This is our home, and we're here to protect it."

"Wow," Henry said.

Jasper scoffed. "What a corny asshole."

Charlotte giggled before joining her friends again.

* * *

After a while, Ray told the team to lock the doors when they were done and to hit the showers. Then, he made his exit.

Schwoz left not too long after he put his supplies back in the toolshed.

Jasper signaled his exit by squeezing Charlotte's arm and Henry's shoulders.

When everyone was gone, Henry grabbed Charlotte's hand and led her to another chair. He sat first, then pulled her onto his lap. He made sure that she was facing him again.

Charlotte pushed a strand of hair away from his eyes. "What's wrong?"

Henry wrapped his arms around her. "Nothing."

She responded by placing her arms around his neck. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah… I kinda just wanna stay like this for a moment."

All they did was look into each other's eyes.

Neither made any sudden movements, as if they were searching for answers.

 _What kind of answers_ , Charlotte didn't know.

The comfortable silence was broken when Henry flashed his crooked half-smile and chuckled to himself.

"What?" Charlotte giggled softly, "What do you see?"

Henry waited a moment before answering.

" _Home."_

* * *

 **PLEASE leave a review! I'd appreciate it. Thanks for reading! Until next time!**

 **-Ami :D**


End file.
